Wizards of the Coast has announced Battle for Zendikar, their next post-Core set for Magic: The Gathering, set for release this fall.
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The game marks the shift of release format for Magic. Previously, each new 'block' consisted of a common theme or storyline and was released in three sets, consisting of a major set and two minor additions. The new Zendikar will be the first of a new two-set philosophy, which will give players roughly the same amount of cards across only two new expansions. Less booster boxes to buy, I suppose.
Battle for Zendikar will feature 274 cards and will be released on October 2, with pre-release events beginning on September 26. A number of tournaments and draft games have been announced, as well. For a full list, head over to the official - and sparse - announcement post.
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As with the recent Tarkir block, it is safe to assume that Battle for Zendikar will once again be returning to the plane of Zendikar, which was the 50th expansion for the game released back in 2009. The full set consisted of Zendikar, Worldwake and the Rise of Eldrazi. Given the current focus on several of the Planeswalkers, and that Zendikar featured several alliances - such as Sorin, Nissa and the now dead (in certain timelines) Ugin - it makes sense for Wizards to return that doomed plane.
When last we were on Zendikar, Nissa the planeswalker (who calls Zendikar home) had inadvertently released the Eldrazi, a race of plane-eating monsters and now seeks to bring Sorin, the vampire, back to the fold in order to aid her in destroying this new threat.
It's all wonderfully, gloriously complicated. We look forward to our return to the colorless mana and land cards of Zendikar. Stay tuned for more as Wizards reveals it.
